Former Servers Awarded $5M In Layoffs Lawsuit

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN: A waitress carries an omelette to be judge by the Jury of the "6th Spanish Omelette Contest", 24 November 2004 during the International Gastronomy Congress "The Best of the Gastronomy" celebrated in the northern Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian until November 25th. AFP PHOTO / RAFA RIVAS (Photo credit should read RAFA RIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Credit: Rafa Rivas/AFP/Getty Images)

WOODLAND HILLS (CBSLA.com) — Four former servers at a San Fernando Valley restaurant have been awarded $5.68 million in a lawsuit over claims they were laid off due to their ages.

Plaintiffs Martha Aboulafia, 61, Cheryl B. Colgin, 61, Regina Greene, 49, and Patricia Monica, 70, had nearly five decades of service at Cable’s Restaurant located at 20929 Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills, according to reports.

After being laid off by the restaurant’s new owner in 2010, the plaintiffs sued Cable’s and its owners, GACN Inc., in Los Angeles Superior Court in September 2011, alleging age discrimination and wrongful termination, according to trial testimony.

Attorney James Rosen said the restaurant began advertising for the plaintiffs’ replacements even after pledging to protect their minimum-wage jobs.

“Needless to say we’re very pleased,” Rosen said. “I think the jury got it right. We want to stamp out this kind of discrimination wherever it happens.”

Defense attorneys denied any wrongdoing by the restaurant and its owners, claiming in court documents that 11 servers and two supervisors ranging in age from 45 to 75 were retained after the new owners took over in February 2010.